This was a festival standout for me and a thoroughly therapeutic experience. Right now I’m just posting some images. The B3 was Tim Neal’s lovely old instrument. Dr Lonnie Smith’s trio played four gigs over two consecutive nights as part of the festival’s Club Sessions. Mal Stanley from ABC radio’s Jazztrack recorded both sessions on the Thursday, so a selection from that material will go to air at some stage. Smith also gave a master class on Thursday, June 7. Unfortunately I was (public service phrase) not in a position to get any pictures of Jamire Williams.

ROGER MITCHELL

Sally Rochlin announces the trio at Bennetts and does the mobile phone thing.

It’s the sign of a good festival, I’ve been told, when there are gigs you’d love to be at that clash with others you can’t miss. Tamara Murphy‘s suite clashed with visiting saxophonist Chris Potter‘s appearance with the Jazzgroove Mothership Orchestra at The Forum and I had decided on the big band — until I realised that fast footwork could allow a visit to Bennetts Lane before catching Potter in the second set.

Nashua Lee

I was really glad that I’d opted to hear the Australian (and world) premiere of Murphy’s work, because it was entrancing. It was also, to my surprise given the modular nature of the suite (referred to by Murphy in an interview with Miriam Zolin before the work was complete), not at all fragmented, but rather seemed to be compellingly cohesive.

Tamara Murphy

But how much was improvised on the night and how much was scripted? None of the musicians appeared to be using any charts, and there was a level of concentration and intensity that usually accompanies spontaneous improvisation. Clearly the musicians were highly attentive to what the others were up to, but it was almost as if they were following a script that was not written down, yet was in their heads. Surely there must have been hours of rehearsal for this suite to work so well, but I do not know whether that’s the case.

Daniel Farrugia

The suite came across as an exploration of timbres and textures in a way that was tonally and percussively rich — even luxuriant at times. Some pairings of instruments worked extremely well — Murphy’s bowed bass with Murray’s muted trombone, Lee’s guitar with Murphy’s bowed bass — and Farrugia’s intensity on drums contributed significantly.

Tamara Murphy

Big Creatures Little Creatures was relatively subdued until the latter stages, when that changed as the work ended in a real climax. The tight playing at this point emphasised the musicians’ synchronicity, especially as exemplified by Talia and Farrugia, who worked faultlessly together on drums in a way that was hard to believe.

Daniel Farrugia

I would definitely like to hear this suite performed again, perhaps at a Stonnington Jazz or Wangaratta Jazz festival. It deserves a wider audience than there was space for in the large room at Bennetts Lane, though that was packed.

When you think about it, there’s a hell of a lot of saxophonists in this year’s MIJF. The revered Bernie McGann‘s 75th birthday celebration was the first of the Club Sessions at Bennetts Lane jazz club, followed by Jamie Oehlers in a quartet with US bassist Robert Hurst. The following night the Jazzgroove Mothership Orchestra would have the talents of tenor player Chris Potter on display, and back at Bennetts later there would be Eli Degibri from Israel in a quartet. As things turned out, I caught all of these players. It’s fascinating to see and hear the different approaches and styles.

I’ll be honest. Bernie McGann’s outing was the standout for me. On the other saxophonist’s performances, as they used to say on ABC radio, more on that story later.

Bernie McGann gets into the swing of Hannaford, Rex and Beck.

I’ve never been so entranced by McGann’s playing as I was in these two sets. Of course appreciation of any gig is subjective and has a lot to do with what mood you’re in, the type of music played and whether the two gel. But I reckon there was some special magic happening from McGann on the night. Right from the opening rendition of Ellington’s What Am I Here For?, he seemed to produce that magic so simply, without fuss. He stands, immobile, and delivers. Then he sits and listens, getting into the swing of the work being done by his fellow musicians.

Marc Hannaford

And what a class band McGann had to help him celebrate. Paul Grabowsky was listed on the program, but Marc Hannaford was at the piano instead. Think about it … Phil Rex on bass, Hannaford on piano and Dave Beck on drums. A few minutes of listening was enough to show that these guys were on fire. Well, that’s a cliche. More specifically they were attentive, responsive and absolutely integrated, so that when McGann sat out for a time in each piece, no one missed the saxophone.

Bernie McGann

But we didn’t have to miss out on the sax. McGann’s interpretation of Monk’s In Walked Bud was something special. Sonny Rehe from Uptown Jazz Cafe has heard McGann perform many, many times and at the break he mentioned that the saxophonist had contributed something exceptional in Bud. I concurred. All members of the band had superb solos in this, with Hannaford making deft touches. McGann played with a such ease throughout the piece, yet there was clearly focus and concentration. Beck was awesome.

Dave Beck

I didn’t know all the pieces played on the night, but in the second set the second had McGann making minimalist, but effective contributions (I was reminded a little of Wayne Shorter at the Palais a few years ago, but this was much better), Hannaford contributing complexity and McGann finishing unaccompanied in spectacular fashion.

Bernie McGann

During each piece, McGann — possibly in a concession to his advancing years — took a breather on a chair on stage and seemed to just absorb the music.

Phillip Rex

The closing piece was faster and we were treated to great solos. The band was on fire (there’s that cliche again) and I swear the audience was bathed in sweat from just listening. It’s odd to say that, in hindsight, because the following session with Oehlers and Hurst was to be more full-on than McGann’s quartet. But the fire in Bernie’s belly was the smouldering sort that had really hot coals — no need for flames, but plenty of heat. I loved it.

Dave Beck

I confess to being insular and biased, but every time I hear overseas jazz greats perform, particularly in larger venues, I think that our local performers stack up pretty well. OK, so in time we do lose many of our own to New York or other overseas jazz hot spots, and we reap rewards when they return on visits, but there is an originality here that is to be valued. I reckon Hannaford, Rex and Beck, not to mention McGann, are hard to beat.